... BIRD SURVEY of the LACHLAN I MURRUMBIDGEE CONFLUENCE WETLANDS I ' PHILIP N MAHER 94 Hunter Street Deniliquin NSW 2710 .. 1990 I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .J Funding for this project was provided by the States Co-operative Assistance Program, administered by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Technical advice and assistance was provided by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, notably John Brickhill, whose support and assistance is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are due to numerous people who provided valuable assistance in the field. These include all the managers and property owners in the study area who freely provided information and allowed access to their properties. In particular I would like to thank Barry Hodgson, Brendan Coates, Steve Bleyer, Russell Hampton and Graham and Andrea McFalane for information, assistance and hospitality, and the officers of the Department of Water Resources, NSW at Redbank Weir and Balranald, particularly Tom Davy for helpful assistance. Thanks are also due to Richard Loyn, David Baker-Gabb and Rick Webster for advice in writing this report, to Janet Mathewson for typing, to Susan Bull for compiling the references, to Tom Wheller for checking nomenclature, and to Trisha Maher for invaluable assistance. · j­ r1 Editing and Production: John Brickhill Typing of Tables: Donna Hedge cover Design: S.Davidson Maps: John Brickhill Published by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife service PO Box 1967, Hurstville NSW 2220 Telephone (02) 5856444 Fax ( 02) 5856555. @NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 1990. This book is copyright. Copyright for the entire contents is vested in the author. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism of review as permitted under the copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without prior written permission. Enquiries should be made to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service or the Government of New South Wales. ISBN 0 7305 73923 CONTENTS Abstract 1 Recommendations 2 Introduction 4 Literature Review 4 Study area description 6 Habitat DescriptiOn/Hydrology 10 Methods 16 Results 22 River redgum 22 Black box swamps 22 Lignum/nitre goosefoot swamps. 25 Open water 25 Flooded Cropland 25 Tables Colony Failures Five Mile Creek 26 Nap Nap Swamp 26 Eulimbah Swamp 26 Sapling Swamp 26 Egret Swamp 26 Discussion 27 Waterbirds for which the study area is of National, State and Regional Importance. 27 Wetland Areas of National Significance. Redbank Weir Wetlands 28 Wynburn Regulator Wetlands 29 Torry Plains Wetlands 30 Great Cumbung Swamp and associated wetlands. 32 Wetlands of State Signficance. 33 Avalon Swamp/Loorica Lake Wetlands 33 Status of the Nine Species for which the Study Area is of National Importance 35 Comparison between Historical and Present Nesting 37 Pollen/Caira Creek System: Nap Nap Swamp 37 .... Torry Plains, Eulimbah, Littlewood Stations 37 ' I Contents (continued) J Murrumbidgee River- Redbank Weir to Balranald: ~) Glen Dee Station 38 Holmdale Station 38 Yanga Station 38 Lachlan River Great Cum bung Swamp 38 Management River Redgum Wetlands Along the Murrumbidgee River (including Redbank Weir and Wynbum Regulator Wetlands) 39 Great Cumbung Swamp and Associated Wetlands 40 Pollen Caira Creek Wetlands including the Tarry Plains Wetlands. 40 References 43 Appendices Appendix I Ann9tated List of Colonial Nesting Water birds 46 Appendix II Annotated List of Non-Colonial Nesting Water birds 61 .. Appendix Ill Annotated List of Land Birds 75 ) Appendix IV Annotated List of Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians • and Fish 91 Appendix V Description and Access Details of Individual Wetlands 95 l Appendix VI Historic Records of Species In the Study Area, Not recorded during the Survey Period. 113 I Tables ·5-21 114 -126 1­ Tables 22-71 127-155 ) -~ ) 1 ABSTRACT Sixty-two species of waterbirds were recorded in the study area, of which 43 were confirmed breeding. Breeding colonies of 15 of the 16 colonial-nesting species recorded were located. Four wetland areas were identified as being of national significance for a total of nine species, of state significance for 30 species, and of regional significance for a further nine species. Abundance of some colonial waterbirds was lower than in prior years, possibly due to widespread natural tloodings, which occurred in the river systems throughout western New South Wales during the survey. Of the six wetland habitats categorised, river redgum was the principal habitat for breeding colonial-nesting waterbirds. All four wetland areas identified as having national significance are seen to be under threat from changes to the flooding regime, the Pollen/Caira Creeks wetland system imminently so. Information on the abundance, distribution and habitat are provided for 164 species, including land birds. 2 ) RECOMMENDATIONS _J 1 Land Acquisition ~I The Redbank Weir and Wynbum Regulator Wetlands areas are ecologically of such high value that their protection should be guaranteed. Not only are they significant for the breeding waterbirds which they support, but also because they contain the largest stands of river redgum Eucalyptus camaldulensis in a natural condition remaining in the Riverina, and possibly NSW. At the present rate that logging is occurring in the study area, it is probable that all virgin stands will be logged within 10 years. Acquisition of all or part of the Great Cumbung Swamp· and Avalon Swamp/Loorica Lake Wetlands should also be given consideration. The Great Cumbung Swamp, although degraded, has the potential to be reinstated as one of the state's premier wetlands. The Avalon Swamp/Loorica Lake Wetland was the only confirmed Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa breeding locality recorded during the survey. The Avalon Swamp is the only natural lignum Muehlenbeckia cunninghamii swamp on the Pollen/Caira Creeks system which retains water without the aid of banks. In conjunction with the area of lignum on the Caira Creek, north-east of Avalon Swamp, it is one of the largest areas of lignum left in the study area. Loorica Lake is a prominent natural feature of the study area, as well as being an important drought refuge for ducks and· other waterbirds. The surrounding area contains perhaps the most pristine stands of old man Atriplex nummularia and bladder saltbush Atriplex vesicaria left on the Riverine plain. 2 Water Allocation for the Great Cumbung Swamp and the Murrumbidgee Wetlands. A guaranteed water allocation should be secured for the Great Cumbung Swamp, ensuring the reed bed area receives annual flooding, and the surrounding river redgum areas are inundated every two to three years. A specific water allocation for the Maude and Redbank Weir diversions should be guaranteed to ensure the area and frequency of flooding is not reduced. 3 Regular Monitoring Regular monitoring of breeding colonies should occur twice each breeding season; at the commencement of breeding in October and towards the end of breeding in late December. 4 Surveys Further surveys should be undertaken to determine: a if numbers of water birds are comparable during controlled inundation to the numbers in the natural flood which occurred during the survey b the extent of utilisation of the study area, particularly the Great Cumbung Swamp, by cryptic and/or rare species, ie Freckled Duck, Bittems, Crakes, Rails and Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, and to also determine the extent migratory waders are dependent on controlled inundation when other areas are dry. 3 5 Consultation Guidelines should be established for property owners/managers on the management requirements of breeding waterbirds. Consultation should be held with the property owners/managers, whose land contains important water storages, ie Tarry Plains, Nap Nap and Littlewood Stations, to essay an agreement on water storages receiving a drying-out period each year. This is of particular importance for Nap Nap Swamp where trees are currently threatened. Collaboration should be sought between the owner of Tupra Station, the Forestry Commission of NSW and the DWR (Department of Water Resources) regarding the construction of a regulator on the creek which fills Baconian Swamp to ensure that it annually receives a drying-out period. 6 An Environmental Impact Statement An Environmental Impact Statement should be completed for new proposals for irrigation development, including lignum clearances, in the study area and upstream of it, on the Lachlan or Murrumbidgee Rivers. ~ 7 Ramsar Nomination Nomination of the study area for inclusion on the Ramsar Convention is recommended, as is nomination of the Pollen/Caira Creeks Wetlands for inclusion on the Register of the National Estate. 8 Incentives to Prooertv Owners. Wetlands remaining under the control of property owners should be protected, and owners encouraged to manage wetlands for wildlife. This could be attempted by Conservation Agreements with the National Parks and Wildlife Service . • .. 4 INTRODUCTION J The Lachlan/Murrumbidgee confluence wetlands have been long recognised as an important breeding area for colonial-nesting species and other JI waterbirds (North 1913, N J Favaloro pers comm). More recently, the annual CSIRO aerial surveys (1983-1988) have identified this area as one of the five most important wetland systems in eastern Australia. ) The effect of river regulation on breeding waterbirds along the inland river systems has been a matter of concern since the 1960's (Frith 1967). In the last 10 years there has been a serious decline in breeding waterbirds in the ~ extensive river redgum forest along the Murray River between Tocumwal and Barham (pers obs). The colonial nesting waterbirds, the Anhingidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Ardeidae and Plataleidae families, appear to be more affected by river regulation than other wetland species. The high mortality rate of young birds at breeding colonies along the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers over the same 10 year period (pers.